Documentary at DIFF Highlights How Strangers Lives can Connect
Timelines, directed by Tarryn Crossman, premiered at this year’s Durban International Film Festival.Timelines showcases the stories of three teenagers who lived separate existences but shared a commonality with their lives being celebrated all over the world.
Timelines, directed by Tarryn Crossman, premiered at the 37th Durban International Film Festival.
Amber Cornwell, a 16-year-old from North Carolina in the United States, was a happy young girl or so her parents thought. Amber hanged herself in her bedroom closet after a posting on her Facebook page which read: ‘if I die tonight, would anyone cry?’
She was severely bullied at school but it is unknown exactly why she killed herself.
Her death soon became known across the world and “anti-bullying” campaigns were started in her memory.
Jenna Lowe (17) of Cape Town was diagnosed with a rare disease, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PH), which threatened and eventually cut short her life. Jenna and her family managed to control the disease for almost three years.
At 19, she initiated the GetMeTo21 campaign in which she invited the nation to her 21st birthday, encouraging people to sign up to become organ donors to help her to be at her party. Early in 2015, Jenna had a lung transplant but things went wrong and she died after months in the Intensive Care Unit. The worldwide exposure she received led to her being remembered for her campaign encouraging people to become organ donors.
Kaileigh Fryer (19), died in a car accident in Terrey Hills Sydney, Australia. Her parents found her diary with a to-do list which was handed out to everyone at her funeral. The list soon went viral and people across the world were ticking items off the list in memory of her.
The film illustrated how strangers share commonalities as was the case with these three teenagers and their families whose pain was made more bearable by the celebration of the lives of those who died.
Karabo Moeti
author : .author email : .A Mile in my Shoes Featured at Durban Film Festival
A Mile in my Shoes, directed by Saeed Khallaf.A Mile in My Shoes is a psychological thriller involving a child, Saeed, born and bred in misery and suffering, who decides to take revenge on the society which has marginalised him.
The film, which premiered at this year’s Durban International Film Festival, is directed by Said Khallaf.
Set against a background of an unforgiving city in Morocco, filled with chaos and poverty, this depressing yet touching social drama offers sensitive insight into the lives of street children.
The film reveals how Saeed’s family is suffering with his mother - a domestic worker - leaving early in the morning and returning at midnight. Saeed often goes to sleep on an empty stomach because his father, an alcoholic and violent person, eats his food.
Saeed begins to hate his father and eventually stabs him but his mother takes the blame and ends up in jail.
The youngster meets other street children but for him to be a member of the group, he has to kiss the group leader’s hand which he refuses to do. He is then beaten and sexually abused.
After this incident, Saeed finds work but his boss tries to rape him. The boy stabs his assailant and is sent to jail for that.
The film reveals his treatment in prison and the harsh realities he has to deal with there. It also highlights the plight of families torn apart by domestic violence and the consequences of that.
The 37th Durban International Film Festival was hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts in UKZN’s College of Humanities.
For more information, visit www.durbanfilmfestival.co.za Twitter: #DIFF2016 @DIFFest
Nomcebo Mncube
author : .author email : .UKZN Students Participate in DIFF Media Lab
The UKZN student media lab team at the Durban International Film Festival.A team of students under the wing of UKZN’s Centre for Communication, Media and Society (CCMS) recently participated in a media lab for the 2016 Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).
The on-going project is a way of offering students real world journalism experience, helping them build their portfolio for employment applications and immersing them in the world of film, TV and video.
Student interns were selected for and trained in the fields of Journalism/Film Reviews, Communication Management, Events Management and Organisational Communication. Qualifying reviewers were supported by an experienced team of CCMS-based sub-editors and senior film students.
In conjunction with City Press, the newsroom of selected students wrote reviews on the Festival and its films, panels, directors and actors. Their stories were submitted for publication to various newspapers; the CCMS magazine SUBtext, and entered onto the African Cinema and TV page on the CCMS website. isiZulu-speaking students were also encouraged to write for the Isolezwe newspaper.
CCMS Student Ms Lungelo Khanyile saw the whole experience as a learning opportunity. ‘It was both fun and enriching to be a part of the student media lab because you enhanced your skills as a media practitioner and networked and built contacts.’
Media and Cultural studies student Ms Senzekile Khwela added: ‘This is a great platform for students to get to know the media industry a bit better and to learn from those in it. You get to apply all that you’ve learned during lectures. It also opens you up to constructive criticism on your work, builds your self-confidence and makes you a better writer and reviewer.’
Said English Studies student Mr Thomas Cipolla: ‘Being a part of the Festival media lab was an unforgettable experience, providing a totally new outlook on how the film and media industry work. It allowed me to view independent films…films I wouldn’t necessarily have watched. It made me appreciate and value the Festival and the hard work that goes into film making.’
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .I-UKZN ibinomcimbi Wokufundwa Kwemibhalo Ekhethekile ka-Dkt Phyllis Naidoo
Kufundwa imibhalo ka-Phyllis Naidoo. Click here for English version
Isizinda sase-UKZN i-Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre ekhempasini yase-Westville sibe nomcimbi wokufundwa kwemibhalo ekhethekile nezincwadi zika Phyllis Naidoo ongasekho emhlabeni. Abebehambele lo mcimbi bafunde imibhalo nezincwadi zakhe futhi besho namahlaya angaye.
Impilo ka-Naidoo – obeyisishoshovu esilwa nobandlululo, engummeli kanye nombhali - iqoshwe emibhalweni ekhethekile ese-Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre.
Le mibhalo ihlanganise izincwadi, izithombe, okucashunwe emaphephandabeni neminye imibhalo efingqiwe engashicilelwanga ebalula igalelo lezishoshovu emzabalazweni. U-Naidoo wanikela ngalemisebenzi eNyuvesi ngonyaka wezi-2006.
Okucashunwe kwenye yezincwadi zika-Naidoo ethi 156 Hands that Built South Africa: The 1956 Treason Trial, kuqhakambise ukuzinikela kwakhe enkululekweni e-Ningizimu Africa. Enye yezincwadi zika-Naidoo ezazibhekiswe ku-Govan Mbeki ishicilelwe odongeni olukhulu esangweni lase-Robben Island.
Wahlonishwa owayenguMongameli, uThabo Mbeki nge-Order of Luthuli ngenxa yegalelo aba nalo emzabalazweni wentando yeningi okungukuhlonishwa okusezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu. Wayengumfundi wase-Nyuvesi yaseNatali futhi wahlonishwa ngeziqu zobudokotela yiNyuvesi yase-Westville ne-Durban University of Technology.
Wayaziwa ngokuzinikela kwakhe kanye nomoya ongadikibali, uNaidoo wadlula emhlabeni ziyi-13 kuNhlolanja enyakeni wezi-2013.
- Isifundo saminyaka yonke Sesikhumbuzo sikaDkt Phyllis Naidoo sisanda kuhlehliswa ngenxa yokungatholakali kwesikhulumi u-Sophia Theresa Williams-de Bruyn. Owayeyisishoshovu somzabalazo u-de Bruyn babesemashini no-Lilian Ngoyi, Albertina Sisulu, Helen Joseph no-Rahima Moosa mhla ziyi - 9 kuNcwaba 1956, behlanganyele nabesifazane abayizi-20 000, belwisana nomthetho owawuphoqa abesifazane ukuthi baphathe amapasi.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .UKZN Academic Wins Sunday Times Literary Award
From left: Alan Paton award winner Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola; Sunday Times Editor, Mr Bongani Siqoko; Dr Nkosinathi Sithole and Advocate Thuli Madonsela.UKZN’s School of Arts academic Dr Nkosinathi Sithole has won the 2016 Barry Ronge Sunday Times Fiction Award for his debut novel Hunger Eats a Man.
Sithole received the accolade and a R100 000 cash prize at the 2016 Sunday Times Literary Awards function in Johannesburg.
Sithole, who has a PhD in English Studies and lectures at UKZN, said: ‘I want to say thanks to the many people who made Hunger Eats a Man possible. Sadly, these are the people who are suffering, the people who are living in poverty. I think, right now, that maybe I should be dedicating the award to them but I know they would rather have the money than the dedication.
‘There are no words to describe what I am feeling right now, and what I felt when I was announced the winner. It was amazing, unbelievable. I am very grateful and humbled. While I am happy that my first novel has won this prestigious award, I also see it as a very big challenge for my next book. I know that it will be judged against Hunger Eats a Man, and that is now a really worrying challenge.’
He advised other emerging South African writers to ‘keep on writing and rewriting. Don’t censor yourself and don’t expect to write an award-winning novel. In other words, don’t set your standards too high. You can always polish your work later on.’
At the event, Public Protector Advocate Thuli Madonsela congratulated all the writers in the Sunday Times Literary Awards, saying their writing showed courage.
Sithole’s book, which is available in both isiZulu and English, is set in the village of Ndlalidlindoda (translated as Hunger Eats a Man) in KwaZulu-Natal and highlights the ongoing plight of many rural South Africans and the power of a community working together to bring about change.
The Acting Dean and Head of the School of Arts, Professor Donal McCracken, said: ‘The literary, creative and performing arts are the soul of any university, so we are especially delighted by the news of this award. Dr Sithole’s achievement illustrates that within academia there is a relevant consciousness of society, its concerns and its problems?. Dr Sithole is to be warmly congratulated.’
Sithole urged everyone to read his book as he believes it is relevant to the situation in South Africa. ‘It is written in a humorous tone so that it does not become too bleak as it deals with disturbing facts about our lives,’ he said.
The book is available from all major bookstores and online stores for R230.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .Durban International Film Festival Award Winners Announced
Together are some of the Film Festival Award winners.Award winners at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) - hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) within the College of Humanities - were announced during the closing ceremony at the Playhouse Theatre in Durban.
Winners were revealed prior to the screening of the closing film, The Space in Between – Marina Abramovic and Brazil, a documentary about the acclaimed performance artist’s search for spiritual healing in South America.
The international jury this year comprised an award-wining producer from the Philippines, Bianca Balbuena; the Programme Director of the Maisha Foundation, Fibby Kioria; a film critic who currently works for the Luxor African Film Festival, Sherif Awad, and a veteran of festivals in South Africa, Trevor Steele Taylor.
Members of the South African feature film jury were film-makers Jahmil Qubeka and Melissa Parry while the documentary jurors were film-makers Rehad Desai, Omelga Mthiyane and Riaan Hendricks, and the short film jurors were film makers Neil Coppen and Sumayya Rawat. The Amnesty Jury consisted of Coral Vinsen, Nonhlanha Mkhize, Betty Rawheath and Mark Povall.
On the night, the award for the Best Feature Film went to The Violin Player directed by Bauddhayan Mukherji. The jury described it as a seductive and mysterious tale of a violin player’s mundane life and an interesting take on how chance encounters were almost predestined.
‘By successfully weaving offbeat editing, brave cinematography, simple screenplay, honest direction and a lot of surprising elements, the film shows us that art, no matter how unimportant it may seem, can change people’s lives,’ said Balbuena.
The award for Best South African Feature Film went to Tess (a 2013 Durban FilmMart project), directed by Meg Rickards, which the jury described as ‘a measured and uncompromising debut feature’, while the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award for the film that best reflects human rights issues went to Noma, directed by Pablo Pineda. The award included a cash prize donated by the Artists for the Human Rights Trust.
Director for the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) Mr David wa Maahlamela said, ‘I congratulate all the DIFF Awards recipients, including adjudicators’ special mentions. Admittedly, the inevitable question of misrepresentation is more evident and there is an urgent call for redress of the international film landscape, a concern our developmental initiatives such as film workshops, Durban FilmMart and Durban Talents are unapologetically addressing.’
Other winners included:
Best Documentary: Martha and Niki directed by Tora Mkandawire Martens.
Best SA Documentary: The Journeymen, directed by Sean Metelerkamp.
Best Short Film: Grandma’s Day (Dzie'n Babci) directed by Milosz Sakowski.
The Best African Short Film Award: New Eyes directed by Hiwot Admasu.
Best South African Short Film: eKhaya (Home), directed by Shubham Mehta.
Best Actor Award: Mohsen Namjoo for his performance in Radio Dream, directed by Babak Jalali.
Best Actress: Christia Visser for her role as Tess in Tess directed by Meg Rickards.
Best Direction: Ciro Guerra for Embrace Of The Serpent.
Best Cinematography: Chris Lotz for The Endless River.
Best Screenplay: Ciro Guerra and Thoedor Koch-Grunberg for Embrace Of The Serpent.
Best Editing: Tess which was edited by Linda Man.
Artistic Bravery: Neon Bull directed by Gabriel Mascaro.
Melissa Mungroo
author : .author email : .UKZN Part of Doctoral School Launched in Madagascar
Professor Bernard De Meyer flanked by Philippe Bataille (AUF Director for the Indian Ocean region), answering questions from journalists.A new regional doctoral school in Social Sciences and Humanities, titled “Languages, Plurality and Development or Prélude”, has been launched in Antananarivo, Madagascar, as a project of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF).
Following a call for applications and a comprehensive selection process, 10 PhD students from five countries in the Indian Ocean/Southern Africa region - Madagascar, the Comoros, Mozambique, India and South Africa - were selected for participation.
These students met in Madagascar for the official launch of the school and for an initial two-day training programme. UKZN student Ms Alexandra Stewart, who started her PhD in the Discipline of French at the beginning of the year, is one of the selected candidates.
The AUF, of which UKZN is an associate member, established the doctoral school to ensure that participating students obtained their PhD within three years in order to address the shortage of well-trained young graduates in the region.
This goal will be achieved through a combination of online training programmes which can be accessed by other PhD students in the region, cohort teaching and a research internship of two to three months in a partner university with a co-supervisor. Candidates will also set up their own colloquium next year.
The project leader, Professor Bernard De Meyer of UKZN’s School of Arts in Pietermaritzburg, said at the launch of the School - which has a budget of 80 000 euros a year for its various activities - that regional co-operation was the way to go. ‘It opens horizons. To be part of an international cohort allows one to relate, but will also give that extra motivation. The AUF is to be applauded for its support for this initiative,’ he said.
At the end of the first training session, Stewart said: ‘We’ve been provided with a truly exciting opportunity to be part of an international, and inter-disciplinary, academic community. Furthermore, I think this school highlights the importance of the French language, particularly in an African context, but given that we have students participating from India and globally as well.’
One of the 10 selected candidates, Ms Jyothsana Narasimhan of the University of Mumbai in India, has chosen UKZN for her internship where she will do research under the supervision of De Meyer.
Melissa Mungroo and Bernard De Meyer
author : .author email : .KZN High School Teachers Benefit from Maritime Studies Workshop
Maritime Teachers Training Workshop participants during their visit to the shipyard.UKZN’s Unit of Maritime Law and Maritime Studies in partnership with the eThekwini Maritime Cluster and the Durban University of Technology (DUT) recently hosted a Maritime Teachers Training Workshop to empower high school educators.
The workshop saw 27 educators from all over the province who teach maritime studies at a secondary level benefit from a four day theoretical and practical learning experience.
The first two days involved the educators being taught about maritime transport and economics by Maritime Law Expert and Unit Head, Professor Trevor Jones. As well as aspects of Maritime Law with a special focus on materials facilitated by Law academic, Mr Langa Dlamini.
The practical elements of the workshop incorporated the educators being taken on an operations tour of the Durban Port and a trip on board the Isponono ferry to show maritime economics at work. The educators also went on a field trip to Zac Pack, a Container Freight Station to see how a shipyard operates.
Commenting on the workshop, Jones said that it is important for educators to be empowered with knowledge on maritime as most of them do not have a background in maritime and are not aware of the various career opportunities available to students in the maritime field.
‘This workshop is important as most of the teachers have never studied maritime and they brought questions from students on the focus areas they would like us to address so we are responding to what the students’ need to know. Through taking the educators to the port and the Southern African shipyard we are showing the careers and opportunities their students can pursue in maritime which is in line with operation Phakisa,’ explained Jones.
The remainder of the workshop which was carried out by DUT’s Department of Maritime Studies saw the educators being taught the nautical aspects of maritime.
Educators, Ms Jabu Chonco from Port Shepstone’s BonguZwane High School and Ms Ntokozo Mkhize from Newscastle’s Phendukani High School said the workshop has not only given them valuable information which will benefit their students but it has motivated them to consider studying maritime.
‘We have learnt about how the port operates and the challenges they face as well as the role of seafarers which is a career most of our students are interested in. This learning experience has highlighted why maritime is so important to the economy and has made me want to study a course related to maritime as I am definitely passionate about it,’ said Chonco.
Mkhize added that as most of their learners come from rural areas, they have never even seen the port or the sea hence getting the opportunity to visit these sites will make explaining these concepts simpler.
‘Maritime is a broad field and we as educators lack information about most of the opportunities the students can benefit from. Being part of this workshop has opened me up to new possibilities about the various careers in maritime and I can’t wait to share them with my students,’ she said.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .Law Academic Awarded Colenso Research Scholarship
Professor Max du Plessis.School of Law’s Associate Professor Max du Plessis is the recipient of the Colenso Research Scholarship to St John’s College, Cambridge University in England.
The Scholarship will enable du Plessis to be based at the College from January to March next year working on a book on immunity under international law.
Commenting on being awarded the Scholarship, du Plessis said: ‘I am honoured by the opportunity to spend time at Cambridge University to dedicate time to writing on my experience - particularly from an African perspective of international criminal justice in action. I also look forward to focusing on the promises and problems of doing such work on the continent and the lessons that might be drawn there from for other jurisdictions.’
For the past few years, Professor du Plessis’s primary research and writing focus has been based on international criminal justice and the work of the International Criminal Court in and about Africa. This is in relation to his work as an advocate in South Africa and associate tenant, Doughty Street Chambers, London.
Professor du Plessis has been advising on domestic cases dealing with arrest warrants for senior government officials implicated in international crimes - including President Bashir of Sudan and President Mugabe of Zimbabwe - and litigating them in South Africa. He has also been advising on similar cases in other jurisdictions, including in the United Kingdom.
His most recent case includes appearing as counsel on behalf of the Southern African Litigation Centre that is seeking to ensure that the South African government complies with its obligations to arrest President Bashir - a case which was argued in the Supreme Court of Appeal last year and in which Professor du Plessis argued against the government’s claim that Bashir has immunity from arrest under customary international law on account of him being head of state.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .DIFF Features Kalushi
Kalushi stars (from left) Thabo Rametsi as Kalushi; Gcina Mhlope as his mother, Martha Mahlangu; and Pearl Sithole, who played the role of Kalushi’s girlfriend, Brenda.Forty years after the Soweto uprising in June 1976, Kalushi - the story of freedom fighter Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu - featured at the 37th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts in UKZN’s College of Humanities.
Directed by Mandla Dube, the film chronicles the life of Mahlangu, convincingly played by Thabo Rametsi, giving theatre-goers a glimpse into the life of one of South Africa’s renowned fallen heroes.
The film is beautifully shot and deals with the political development of Kalushi, from his school days to being a fruit and vegetable hawker to a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress.
After undergoing training in Angola and Mozambique, Kalushi was sentenced by an apartheid Law Court to death by hanging under the “sharing the common purpose” law after one of his comrades shot and killed two people in Johannesburg’s CBD area 35 years ago.
A plaque marks his burial site, inscribed with the last words he spoke: ‘My blood will nourish the tree that will bear the fruits of freedom. Tell my people that I love them. They must continue the fight.’
The film depicts not only Kalushi’s role in the country’s liberation, but his romantic relationship with Brenda, played by model, radio and TV personality, and soap opera actress, Pearl Thusi.
Script writers included light-hearted moments interspersed with the brutality of the apartheid government, highlighting the hardships endured by those in exile and during the struggle for freedom.
The biopic, which took an epic nine years to complete, was written and produced by award-winning Cinematographer and Director, Mandla Dube, with Leon Otto. The cast includes Gcina Mhlope, Thabo Malema, Welile Nzuza, Luw Venter and Marcel van Heerden.
Said Dube: ‘We see an ordinary young man who somehow becomes a political icon transforming from an average hawker to a human rights legend.’
Kalushi opens in South African cinemas on 16 September, 2016. See it if you have an interest in the history of our country, or if you just enjoy good cinematography.
For more information go to www.durbanfilmfestival.co.za. #DIFF2016 @DIFFest
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .Brexit and International Terror Attacks Among Issues Discussed at UKZN Roundtable Discussions
Dr Carl Wright.The global economic effects of Brexit, terror attacks, and the violent protests in Tshwane and Durban were among issues debated at a round table discussion held at UKZN’s School of Management, Information Technology and Governance.
Also on the agenda at the event, led by the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), Dr Carl Wright, was the outcomes of the recent CLGF Southern Africa Regional Conference which examined the framework for localising Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the work done by CLFG and its members on local economic development (LED) of 15 pilot programmes undertaken in South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland and Zambia.
During the discussions, attended by UKZN staff and provincial municipal practitioners, Wright shared insights on the turmoil and global implications caused by the United Kingdom referendum on European Union membership, and the resulting political fragmentation and extremist attacks which led to the killing of UK Member of Parliament, Jo Cox.
Also debated were the recent brutal terrorist attacks in Brussels, Paris, Orlando and Istanbul.
‘All of these have a large impact on any assessment of the global progress of the SDGs. Global instability could have a major implications for our ability to meet the ambitious targets set under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change,’ said Wright.
Wright confirmed that the Forum wanted to work closely with UKZN and the eThekwini Municipality in developing the necessary conceptual and intellectual toolboxes or toolkits to help its members set, monitor and implement local SDG targets.
‘Most of the SDGs and their detailed targets simply represent what local government is already doing. Localising the SDGs will therefore entail linking the implementation of existing local government competencies to SDG implementation rather than the other way around,’ he said.
‘We expect that the forthcoming Habit III conference in October will result in the adoption of a New Urban Agenda. The Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Network, of which eThekwini is an active and founding member, and which had its first meeting last year and will meet again in London this month, is an important vehicle to realise these aims.’
Discipline of Public Administration academic, Professor Purshottama Reddy, who facilitated the meeting, said the information sharing sessions were important.
‘We might be working in different sectors of life but we live in one locality and are affected by the functionality of municipalities and the quality of service delivery,’ said Reddy. ‘The challenge we have is to understand LED processes and the sustainability of LED initiatives and management in promoting economic growth, job creation and alleviating poverty. We can have the best legislation in place but it won’t work without a strong political will. It is important to have such platforms where we can talk about these issues and share ideas.’
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .Academic to Further Research in International Law as a Harvard Resident Fellow
Mr Chris Gevers.School of Law Lecturer Mr Christopher Gevers has been awarded the Institute for Global Law and Policy Fellowship allowing him to spend a year at Harvard University in the United States to further his research into the intellectual history of Pan-Africanism and International Law.
The Fellowship is awarded to scholars whose work is challenging, original and focuses on progressive and alternative ideas within International Law.
Gevers aims to use the opportunity to continue his study which begins in 1900 at the first Pan-African Conference and institutionally traces this project through the five subsequent Pan-African Congresses and culminates in the formation by African states of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963.
The study focuses on Pan-African intellectuals such as William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, George Padmore, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Kwame Nkrumah - who lived, thought and wrote, together at times, internationally.
‘The aims of the project are threefold,’ said Gevers. ‘First, it aims to explore how Pan-African internationalism converged institutionally and intellectually at various points with the projects of 20th century international law. Not only did Du Bois, Azikiwe and others at times draw on international law, but they also participated in and influenced debates about how to order and re-order the world through law in times of “crisis”.
‘Secondly, it aims to explore how Pan-African scholars tried to re-imagine the world in utopian terms, but their “freedom dreams” were often pursued in languages (international law), forms (the nation state) and practices (elitism, expertise) of that present,’ he said.
‘My aim is to consider how these choices revealed commitments, and involved costs, that ultimately challenged or undermined the project of Pan-Africanism: such as the adoption of an unreconstructed, Eurocentric view of history; the reduction of “colonial emancipation to national liberation” through the state-form; and the downplaying of the “significance of race and racism as fundamental organising principles of international politics”.
‘Thirdly, I am interested in exploring how this history resonates with contemporary debates about the present global order, and Africa’s role in it.’
Apart from his study, Gevers is also working on projects concerning: International Law, Colonialism and the Novel in Africa; The Cold War and International Law; Teaching International Law Critically in South Africa, and Critical Approaches to Legal Education.
UKZNdabaOnline
author : .author email : .Graduate in Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans
Ms Ndoni Mcunu.UKZN MSc graduate Ms Ndoni Mcunu was named in the Mail & Guardian’s 2016 list of 200 Young South Africans showcasing the talent, drive and innovation of young folk striving to improve the lives of others.
Mcunu was recognised in the field of education for her work in founding the registered Black Women in Science (BWIS) non-profit organisation, set up to promote careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for young, rural, Black women who have limited access to knowledge and guidance in this regard. She hopes increased exposure, support and mentorship will see more Black women enter science in Africa.
BWIS holds scientific presentations and workshops in rural high schools, identifying potential bursary candidates to support and guide through tertiary education.
BWIS was inspired by Mcunu’s personal experience of pursuing science. Science was not always an interest of hers, however she saw family members becoming successful scientists, exposing her to the field.
‘What provoked my interest in science was actually my struggle in understanding maths,’ revealed Mcunu.
‘Support from my family helped me overcome this challenge, and encouraged me to continue pursuing science. It’s important not to give up.’
Mcunu credited her master’s supervisor, Professor Onisimo Mutanga, with challenging her thought patterns and encouraging her to pursue a PhD, and said that lecturers such as Professor Trevor Hill, Dr John Odindi, Ms Dayle Trotter and Mutanga inspired innovative, critical thinking, affecting how Mcunu thinks and views people.
‘In my academic career, lecturers, friends and colleagues showed me that becoming a scientist is not necessarily about how smart you are but how willing you are to learn and work hard,’ said Mcunu.
While at UKZN, Mcunu was involved in ENACTUS and the University newspaper, encouraging her to be a person of change and influence for whom helping others and sharing knowledge was never a burden. She was also selected as a Miss Earth South Africa Environmental Ambassador in 2014.
Mcunu is pursuing her PhD at Witwatersrand University’s Global Change and Sustainability Research Institute, supervised by Professor Bob Scholes. She hopes to contribute to improving agricultural production and food availability for small-holder farmers by predicting possible impacts of climate change on food production.
After completing her PhD, Mcunu wants to be involved in policy decision-making and strategic planning for agriculture and food security in Africa, which contributes to building a strong economy. She would also like to work closely with international organisations and local government, and hopes BWIS will operate throughout Africa and that her PhD will inspire young Black women to pursue science.
Mcunu acknowledged close friend and colleague, Serge Kiala, for his support, as well as other colleagues in the Environmental Science Department for their contributions to her career. She thanked God, her parents and siblings for their support, even when she wanted to give up.
Christine Cuénod
author : .author email : .UKZN hosts Elections Debate
A panel of political party representatives during an hour-long live elections debate on the Howard College campus.UKZN in partnership with eNCA and Independent Newspapers recently hosted an hour-long live elections debate on the Howard College campus.
Representatives from the African National Congress (ANC), the Democratic Alliance (DA), the National Freedom Party (NFP), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were part of the panel which discussed corruption, service delivery, job creation and youth development.
Ms Iman Rappetti of eNCA said KwaZulu-Natal had turned into a battleground in the run-up to the local government elections in August.
ANC’s Ms Zandile Gumede spoke on the youth programmes the party is currently running, their close working relationship with NGOs to improve people’s lives and encourage them to do things on their own, and how they kept their promises, including the delivery of 200 000 houses.
DA’s Mr Hanif Hoosen said the country was not moving in the right direction, and highlighted the decline in service delivery and the high levels of fraud in the country.
Commenting on the coalition with the ANC in the last elections, Ms Zandile Myeni of the NFP said it was relevant to work with the governing party.
The IFP’s Dr Cedric Xulu said 60% of people who had left the organisation had now returned and the party had regained control of five municipalities. Xulu said there had been no reports of corruption and there had been clean audits in municipalities run by the IFP.
EFF’s Mr Marshall Dlamini said his party would restore the dignity of the people and uplift their lives. He called for an improvement in the supply of water and sanitation to Black people.
The debate was attended by UKZN staff and students and each political party was supported by their members who sang throughout the show. The partnership was made possible by the University's Corporate Relations Division.
Sithembile Shabangu
author : .author email : .From Mars to Medicine Seminar
The Principal of Dawnridge Primary, Mr SN Pillay (left) with learners and UKZN’s Mr Kumeren Govender and Dr Nadaraj Govender.Grade 5 to Grade 7 pupils from Dawnridge Primary in Chatsworth, Durban, enjoyed an exciting seminar on Mars and Medicine presented by UKZN father and son team, Nadaraj and Kumeren Govender.
Dr Nadaraj Govender is a Senior Lecturer while his son is a 5th year Medical student.
Dr Govender visits schools annually to encourage learners to follow careers in Astronomy, Science and Technology as there is a need to create interest in these fields from childhood.
He said Edmund Hubble (the Hubble telescope was named after him) gained an interest in science after receiving a small telescope as a gift from his grandfather, while Richard Feynman (the renowned physics educator and joint Nobel prize winner in 1965 for quantum electrodynamics) began by tinkering with the components of old radio sets.
The pupils heard about issues such as living on Mars, the current Mars One project in which 100 top candidates are shortlisted (including one from UKZN), practical astronomy of the night and day sky using binoculars, and the Orrey (see model in picture).
Some interesting questions were asked about space such as: Are there aliens out in space? and How big is the universe?
Kumeren discussed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and HIV and AIDS, health, exercise and nutrition. He said he was very impressed with the updated knowledge of the students regarding HIV and AIDS and congratulated the school for fostering a deep understanding of health issues.
Principal Mr SN Pillay told learners they needed to lead a balanced life and participate in music and art as well. He said Kumeren, in spite of his academic workload which includes studying for an MBChB Master’s degree, plays the violin, thabla, and harmonium and is learning classical music.
UKZNdabaOnline
author : .author email : .UKZN Welcomes Potential Academics
UKZN welcomed the second cohort of top candidates earmarked for academic careers at the University.UKZN’s Human Resources Division (HR) recently welcomed a group of high achieving, potential future academics during a congratulatory lunch held at the Durban Country Club.
The lunch was organised by the Human Resources Graduate Development Programme’s team together with HR Managers and Deans from each of the four Colleges.
It was the second cohort of top candidates earmarked for academic careers at UKZN.
Ten of the students are on UKZN SETA Bursary Awards while 12 are on a Talent Excellence and Equity Acceleration (TEAEA) Scholarship.
The Programme enables the University to grow the next generation of academics by identifying potential talent in the final years of undergraduate study and at postgraduate levels.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Albert van Jaarsveld, said it was not an easy road as students were now competing with lecturers globally. He said their ability would be driven by how hard they were prepared to work and compete at that level.
He advised the students to seek mentorship and keep close to the mentors as that was the key to success, confidence and growth.
‘Start publishing and grow your CV, not only in the number of papers but the quality,’ said van Jaarsveld.
Executive Director: Human Resources, Ms Avril Williamson, told the students they were the future of academia. She said HR would be there to engage and support each and every one of them.
Microbiologist and Dean of Teaching and Learning in the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, Professor Bala Pillay, congratulated the students, reminding them they were getting a good start to their careers.
However, he advised the young folk that their research needed to be relevant. ‘Let’s take it back to our people, and how the research assists the community. Study and make a contribution to the country,’ said Pillay.
HR Development’s Director, Ms Busisiwe Ramabodu, advised the students to live the five values of UKZN - respect, excellence, accountability, client orientation and honesty (REACH), as this would impact on the way they engaged with staff and students.
Sithembile Shabangu
author : .author email : .